da bet7： The West Indies selectors will choose the squad of 16 for theforthcoming tours of Zimbabwe and Kenya next weekend during thespecial preparatory camp in Trinidad
Tony Cozier19-May-2001The West Indies selectors will choose the squad of 16 for theforthcoming tours of Zimbabwe and Kenya next weekend during thespecial preparatory camp in Trinidad.Chairman of the panel Mike Findlay said yesterday they would come fromthe 22 players who have already been picked for the 12-day camp.Findlay confirmed that he had asked the West Indies Cricket Board(WICB) to make adjustments to the team to contest the three-way oneday series with India and Zimbabwe from June 23 to July 7 and that forthe subsequent two Tests. That has been the pattern now that the Testsand the one-day internationals are separate and I don’t think we’ll bedenied this time, he noted. We changed the team on the South Africantour two years ago and did the same thing in England last summer andAustralia earlier this year.Findlay indicated that the use of as many as 17 players in the Cable &Wireless series of seven one-day internationals, won 5-2 by SouthAfrica, was deliberate policy.We’re using the series between now and then to find the bestcombination for the World Cup in 2003, he said. We’re hoping that theseries in Zimbabwe is going to help us look at a more settled onedayteam, especially so we can organise the opening position.The West Indies used four different pairs of openers in the sevenmatches against South Africa: Chris Gayle and Leon Garrick in thefirst two, Gayle and Ricardo Powell in the third and fourth, Gayle andDaren Ganga in the fifth and seventh and Ganga and ShivnarineChanderpaul in the sixth.We know we have a problem with our openers sowe’ve been exposing those who we think are competent openers, Findlaysaid.There is a trend of thought that we should use pinch-hitters, headded. I don’t believe we have the type of pinch-hitters who would besuccessful but we gave it a try (with Powell) and went back to thetraditional openers when it didn’t come off.Findlay pointed out that the West Indies was still a basicallyinexperienced team coming to grips with the demands of the game at thehighest level.While six South Africans had played over 100 one-day internationalsand Jonty Rhodes played his 200th at Arnos Vale only captain CarlHooper and Brian Lara had as many for the West Indies.The tours of Zimbabwe and Kenya would provide a little reprieve fromthe high quality opposition we have faced in Australia and now againstSouth Africa, the two strongest teams around in both forms of thegame, Findlay said.